St. Paul daily globe., 1887-05-15
BISHOP IRELAND HOME.
The Renowned Prelate Welcomed Home
to st. Paul From His Long
Visit to Rome.
Prominent Members of the Catholic
Church Escorted Him to His
Residence in State.
A Presentation by the Bishops Friends
Refuses to be Interviewed
On His Trip.
An Address of Welcome by J. D. 0'Brien
Briefly but Peelingly Responded
to by the Bishop.

w iiCu lilc SIICdSO EXPRESS pullCu llllO
the union depot yesterday morning, one
OF the last passengers to alight from the
Pullman sleepers was Bishop Ireland,
who had just returned to St. Paul after
lengthy visit to the holy father at
Rome. Grouped on the depot platform
were a number of parishoners Of the
bishop. and at their head stood Bishop
Grace and Fathers RavouX and Stanley,
With a smile beaming all over his good
natured face, Bishop Ireland attempted
to escape from friends, but was inter
cepted by Bishop Grace with the re-
mark: mo use trying to leave us that
way, bishop" Then there was an
following committee: Dennis Ryan,
John ID. O'Brien, p. Il. Kavanagh,
}. q. DOnnelly, NJ. r. Prendergast,
Patrick Butler, Thomas Brennan,
James King, S. j. Ahern, City Clerk
Prendergast, George Mitsch and Alfred
Dufrene, and before Bishop Ireland
was fully alive to the situation he was
comfortably seated in a new Palmer
" DOucet brOugham, drawn by a pair of
spirited black horses, the ribbons being
entrusted to David Burke. of the
Hotel Ryan stables. Arriving at the
bishops residence, large crowd was
he was fairly borne into his study by
the thrOng, where j. ID. O'Brien de-
livered short address of welcome and
formally presented to the bishop the
team behind which he had been riding.
The substance of Mr.. O'Briens address
was:
''If your lordship could know how i'm
patiently we have waited for your re-
turn you would realize how welcome you
are more than anything we can now
say. These six months of your absence
HAVE SEEMED LONG TO Us.
I'VE heard of you in Rome,in France,
and last in Ireland, and we rejoice TO
know that your name and merit has pre-
ceded and gained for you the recogni-
| ton that you deserved. Yet we feel
sure that there was no place or people
that could ever be to you what this
| place and people are. Our pleasure
upon your return is not only caused by
sentiments of affection, but also from
the conviction your absence has brought
to our minds of how necessary your pres
ence is amongst us. We would be want
ing in common powers of observation if
we did not perceive that at this time and
in this country we are upon the one
| hand beset with many perilS, while on
the other hand we have the advantage
of splendid opportunities. The impell-
ing and characteristic spirit OF Chris
'tianity has from the firSt--and notably
within the last few hundred years
| opened to civilization vast portions of
the globe heretofore undreamt of. The
sphere of Columbus, Marquette, Henne-
pin and such like men could not be eX-
tended beyond discovery and dedica-
ton, and it was left for other men, at
other times, to organize society upon
the scene of their discoveries. This
was no new problem to Christianity,
for it had successively accom-
| pliShed the task i'll all the cOun-
| tries of Europe. But here it is to he
done under widely different circum-
stances. in the presence of spirit of
reStieSSneSS and of confusion to some
| degree produced in mems minds by
| their new and enlarged surroundings,
and that have inevitably caused great
| social and economic changes. To eStab-
| liSh beneficient and enduring system
| of civilization has often been attempted
| by men, but it has only been accom-
| plished through Christianity; so we
must recognize that in this world-build-
| ing which now engages us, in this
changing from the old order to the new,
| the vital question is whether or not our
| civilization will be a Christian one.
| We cannot doubt that Almighty God
will, in the natural order, select
for the establishment of such a civiliZa-
tion men of lofty thought, of great saga
city, of purity and unSelfiShneSS of pur-
pose-men who do not regard Chris
tianity as mere abstraction, but as an
element which shall enter into and gov
ern society in the discharge of its pOlit-
ical, commercial and domestic duties.
and it is because we recognize in YOU
these great qualities, as well as for the
love we bear you, that we welcome YOU
home. Permit me also to say that we
see by the public press that you have
captured a steamship of the Cunard line,
but as there is little seacoaSt tributary
to your diocese we fear that a SeagOing
vessel would not always furnish YOU
with appropriate means of transit, we
have therefore taken the liberty of pro-
viding you with the carriage and horses
that stand at the door, and we also beg
you to accept the further trifing teSti-
monial that now hand YOU"
BISHOP IRELAND RESPONDED.
81 can ill-eXpress my gratitude for the
sentiments you have expressed this
morning on my arrival home. While
travelling abroad during the past months
my heart has always turned towards my
though he felt that too fiattering hopes
were entertained as to his powers of ac-
compliShment in the field of his life
work, yet he assured his friends
that he would do all he could in building
up the great Christian commonwealth
mentioned in the address of welcome.
Great reliance must be placed in the
support and good wishes of the people.
These he felt sure he will have in full
measure. His most hearty thanks were
due his friends for their cordial greeting
and valuable presents.
Subsequently the bishop celebrated
mass privately in the church, and spent
the remainder of the day receiving con-
gratulatOry callers at his resident.
Among the latter was representative
of the GLOBE, and the good father, wear
ing the purple beretta. long black
gown elapsed with red buttons, and the
gold chain betitting his rank as church
dignitary, gave him a most cordial
greeting. 'Really, l am hardly i'm
condition for an interview" said Bishop
Ireland, ''but | appreciate the energy
of the press, and especially of the
GLOBE, about which / have heard
nothing but compliments since my re-
turn abroad. While in New York had
a splendid illustration of press enter
prise and ingenuity, for although | de-
clined to talk to reporters
THEY PRINTED INTERVIEWS
with me all the same. Naturally | am
glad to be back in st. Paul again, and.
as you can see for yourself. | am enjoy
ing excellent health, in fact, | never
felt better in my life. There are sew
eral things can shortly tell the good
people of st. Paul that will interest
hnr hut kl,n4 g AD1